Hugh Harney

How to achieve a 75-80% DMD silage for your winter milking herd
How to achieve a 75-80% DMD silage for your winter milking herd

For most farms, fertiliser is in the ground on their silage blocks and, for autumn calving herds and those that...

Maximising grass intake during potential pinch point in April
Maximising grass intake during potential pinch point in April

We are now into the middle of April, which means cows are getting close to their peak milk production and...

Factors to consider for your herd ahead of the breeding season
Factors to consider for your herd ahead of the breeding season

Breeding season for herds calving down in late January is only a few weeks away and, for many, they will...

What’s your protocol for high cell count cows in the herd?
What’s your protocol for high cell count cows in the herd?

Many herds will be in the latter end of the calving season with only a few to calve, and high...

Grass growth and grass covers improve with heat in the ground
Grass growth and grass covers improve with heat in the ground

It has certainly been a slow start to the year in terms of grass growth, with many farmers struggling with...

Lameness: Cannot afford to have too many cases ahead of breeding
Lameness: Cannot afford to have too many cases ahead of breeding

As we enter into the final few weeks before the breeding season, it is crucial that cases of lameness are...

Reseeding: Weather allowing for a successful spring reseed
Reseeding: Weather allowing for a successful spring reseed

With the weather looking dry and warm for the next couple of days and potentially weeks, it is offering ideal...

Dairy-beef: What does a buyer want from your non-replacements?
Dairy-beef: What does a buyer want from your non-replacements?

It is typical at this time of the year to get excited about choosing your bulls for your dairy replacement...

Dairy advice: Strict milking routine to keep mastitis at bay
Dairy advice: Strict milking routine to keep mastitis at bay

We are now coming towards the end of the calving season, which means the milking routine can become more consistent...

Ensuring the successful gradual weaning of calves
Ensuring the successful gradual weaning of calves

Many calves will be approaching eight weeks of age in the coming days and weeks, which means the gradual weaning...

Reacting to tight grass supplies: More silage or concentrates?
Reacting to tight grass supplies: More silage or concentrates?

Grass growth is gradually improving with milder and damper conditions in store, but many farmers are getting tight on grass...

Calf scour threat increases as bacterial load in sheds multiplies
Calf scour threat increases as bacterial load in sheds multiplies

We are now at that stage of the calving season when fewer cows are calving down and calf pens are...

Dairy conference to focus on profit from high-yielding cows
Dairy conference to focus on profit from high-yielding cows

AgriSearch is set to host a major dairy conference, ‘High Output Dairy Herds – Profit from Performance’, on April 15...

Identifying paddocks for early spring reseed & clover incorporation
Identifying paddocks for early spring reseed & clover incorporation

It is crucial that farmers begin walking their paddocks and reviewing the annual tonnage of each paddock on their farms...

Slurry & fertiliser: Time to look at making quality first-cut silage
Slurry & fertiliser: Time to look at making quality first-cut silage

Getting nutrients out on first-cut silage ground will become a priority on many farms over the coming days and weeks...

How much crude protein should be in your dairy nuts?
How much crude protein should be in your dairy nuts?

At this time of year, when cows are usually in and out grazing due to weather conditions, the question often...

Risk of pneumonia increasing as calf pens fill up
Risk of pneumonia increasing as calf pens fill up

As calving season goes on, calf pens and calf sheds will begin to fill up on farms across the country,...

White line and sole bruising a huge risk as grazing kicks off
White line and sole bruising a huge risk as grazing kicks off

As cows go out to paddocks and get used to travelling on roadways this spring, white line disease and sole...